Adoption of Yaduveer by Wodiyar family challenged in Mysuru court

The adoption of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja by queen Pramoda Devi of the erstwhile Wodiyar royal family was challenged in a court here by Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs on Wednesday.

Admitting the plea, the second additional civil court issued notices to Yaduveer and Devi for filing their responses.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja is the 27th and present titular Maharaja of Mysore and head of the Wodiyar dynasty. Kantharaj Urs is a nephew of late King Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodiyar.

“The adoption has been challenged on the basis of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, which allows a boy or girl to be adopted only if he or she is under 15 years, while Yaduveer was adopted at the age of 22,” Urs’ counsel Ajay Govindraju told reporters here.

Devi, the widow of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodiyar, adopted Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs at a grand ceremony on February 23 in the Amba Vilas Palace here, about 150 km from Bengaluru, as the royal couple had no children.

“Yaduveer’s adoption at the age of 22 is a violation of the Hindu Adoptions Act,” Govindraju asserted.

Srikantadatta died on December 10, 2013 in Bengaluru. He was 60. Incidentally, Kantharaj Urs performed the last rites of his uncle Srikantaddata in the courtyard of the sprawling royal palace.

The legal notice come a day after Yaduveer ascended the golden throne in the palace court hall (khas durbar) on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the 10-day famous Dasara festival.

Yaduveer, son of Tripura Sundara Devi and Swarup Anand Gopal Raj Urs, is the grandson of princess Gayathri Devi, eldest sister of Srikantadatta and eldest daughter of the last maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar.

Yaduveer was crowned the 27th king of the Wodiyar dynasty on May 28 in the durbar hall of the royal palace.